A £1.5 million fundraising appeal has been launched in aid of Hayward House palliative care centre.
Nottingham Hospitals Charity has launched the appeal to raise money to benefit patients and families being treated at Hayward House, which is at City Hospital in Nottingham.
The launch event took place in the centre’s garden, which will be one of the focuses of the fundraising campaign.
At the spring-themed event, a cherry blossom tree was planted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Merlita Bryan, and wildlife cameras were set up to capture footage of animals and insects visiting the garden during the spring months.
The Hayward House Appeal launch was attended by staff, patients and family members from Hayward House, as well as school children from Seely Primary School, who enjoyed an outdoor nature lesson and will help to monitor footage captured by the wildlife cameras over the coming weeks.
Barbara Cathcart, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “We are delighted to launch this special fundraising appeal in aid of Hayward House palliative care centre.
“Hayward House is a truly special place, staffed by truly special people, and has touched the lives of so many people from across Nottinghamshire. We hope that people from across the county will support our appeal, by making a donation or by taking part in one of our many fundraising events, in order to help us provide the very best environment for patients and their families, at a difficult time in their lives.”
Hayward House is a unique home-from-home environment, where patients with advanced, progressive and terminal illnesses, including those at the end of their life, are cared for by a specialist team of doctors, nurses and therapists.
More than 1,000 patients are treated at the centre each year, including at outpatients clinics, on the inpatient unit, and at a special day centre where patients can take part in therapeutic activities such as art sessions and complementary therapy.
The £1.5 million Hayward House Appeal will help to fund a range of enhancements to the palliative care centre, including improvements to the garden area, making it a more accessible and tranquil space for patients and family members, a more welcoming reception and waiting area, and an expansion of the centre’s research and training facilities.
Sarah Freer, Assistant Divisional Nurse and Palliative and End of Life Lead at Nottingham Uniersity Hospitals Trust, said: “Staff at Hayward House work hard to provide a high standard of holistic care for those patients and families who are in need of palliative and end of life care. This appeal will support the team to continue to provide this hugely important aspect of care, and to enhance the environment for patients and their families.”
Colette Farley, whose mother Margaret Farley – known as ‘Angela’ – was treated at Hayward House, said: “The only time I felt safe leaving my mum in someone else’s care was at Hayward House. Hayward House allowed me the privilege of being her daughter in her final days, instead of her carer, and that meant the world to me. I couldn’t have managed that final stretch without their support.
“Hayward House is such a beautiful place, and my mum received such loving care there. The garden is beautiful, it brings peace for relatives and the chance to enjoy a bit of sunshine on a dark day, but I would love to see it become more accessible to patients.
“The day therapy service gave my mum a focus during a difficult time, and my mum was so grateful for the care she received there. We held a funeral collection for Hayward House, as charitable donations make such a difference to patients and families. It’s the little things that make a difference, like the counselling service and the complementary therapy, which simply wouldn’t be possible without charitable donations.”
For more information about the Hayward House Appeal, or to make a donation, please visit www.nottinghamhospitalscharity.org.uk/haywardhouse
